CASE SUMMARY

On December 2, 2021, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough and an Alaskan voter filed a complaint with the Superior Court of Alaska challenging the Alaska Redistricting Board’s adopted state House redistricting plan as violating the Alaska and U.S. Constitutions. Petitioners alleged several House districts in and around the Borough were overpopulated in violation of the federal one person, one vote constitutional requirement and that several of those districts also violated the Alaska Constitution’s redistricting criteria, including compactness, contiguity, and respect for communities of interest and local government boundaries. They sought a declaration the Board’s plan was unconstitutional and an order remanding the plan back to the Board to remedy the violations.

  • On December 14, 2021, the Superior Court consolidated this case with four other pending challenges to Alaska’s legislative plan and transferred them to the Alaska Superior Court in Anchorage.
  • On February 15, 2022, the court rejected the petitioners’ claims and upheld the House plan as lawful. Petitioners appealed to the Alaska Supreme Court on March 2, 2022.
  • On March 25, 2022, the Alaska Supreme Court affirmed the superior court’s decision as to House Districts 29 and 30 but reversed and struck down House District 36 as non-compact. It also affirmed the superior court’s decision that Senate District K’s pairing of House districts was an unconstitutional political gerrymander under the Alaska Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause and remanded the plan back to the Redistricting Board to correct the violations.
  • On April 13, 2022, the Board adopted a revised legislative plan. Five days later, several petitioners filed a motion asking the superior court to reject the revised plan on the grounds Senate District K was still a partisan gerrymander.
  • On May 16, 2022, the superior court struck down the revised legislative plan as an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander under the Alaska Constitution. Noting the looming 2022 primary election, the court ordered the Board to implement the proposed remedial plan “Option 2” for interim use in the 2022 elections and remanded the plan back to the Board with instructions to adopt a lawful remedial plan for the remainder of the decade. The Board appealed to the Alaska Supreme Court the next day.
  • The Alaska Supreme Court initially stayed the superior court’s ruling but, on May 24, 2022, the Court affirmed the superior court’s decision and order requiring the use of “Option 2” as an interim plan for the 2022 elections. The Court released its full opinion on April 21, 2023.
  • On May 15, 2023, the Alaska Redistricting Board adopted the 2022 interim redistricting plan as the final legislative plan for the remainder of the decade.

Related Cases: Municipality of Skagway Borough v. Alaska Redistricting Board; City of Valdez v. Alaska Redistricting Board; Calista Corp. v. Alaska Redistricting Board; & Wilson v. Alaska Redistricting Board.

CASE LIBRARY

Alaska Superior Court, Third Judicial District at Anchorage - No. 3AN-21-8869CI [formerly in Third Judicial District at Palmer - No. 3PA-21-02397CI]

Alaska Supreme Court - No. S-18303

Alaska Supreme Court - No. S-18332 [together with Nos. S18328, S-18329, S-18330, S-18332]

Alaska Superior Court, Third Judicial District at Anchorage - No. 3AN-21-08869CI [on remand]

Alaska Supreme Court - No. S18419